Missing a child's class assembly

"Dear Mummy,
hope that swine -
flu goas
away. I am really x
sad that you can't x
come to my xx
class assembly xxx
lots and lots of xxx
love your son xxxxxxxx

I didn't go. I texted the Foca and asked him to, asked him to take him to Beavers afterwards.
The Foca called, said he would do, but couldn't take him to Beavers as he had to take his other child to the doctor for jabs.

I was gutted to miss it; my son acting out Dr Barnardo. I lay under a blanket watching The Champ on TCM, red hot tears streaming down my cheeks not missing the various ironies.

The Foca was there for my son so even though my boy was sad I wasn't there, he was happy his dad was. I was happy one of us was.

Lots of children do performances at school while their parents can't watch as they are out at work.

If I were best buddies with a policy maker, I would ask that ALL parents have the option to take paid time off work to go to their child's assemblies, sports days, nativities, fun runs, afternoon concerts. It means such an awful lot to the child.

In my mind people do enough overtime that isn't paid, or work tough jobs for such rubbish money, it would all work out in the end.

Childless people might not think it's fair of course, but they don't have to juggle two jobs. Parenting is an emotional, mental minefield. Having to be Bad Cop all the time in order to raise them well, it's nice that such a small act means the world and more to them.

Sometimes I do wish politicians read this...